


On the Eve of the Sack

by Ramzes



Series: Days Invisible [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Angst, Don't copy to another site, Multi, character exploration, elia is not a happy camper, oh and not a rhaegar/lyanna shipper either
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-28 23:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18766063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ramzes/pseuds/Ramzes
Summary: Elia could not say when she had stopped wondering what had happened – well, not what had happened in reality but what had been going through Rhaegar’s head. And when he returned, the only thing she cared about, he would not give her. The first meeting of husband and wife when Rhaegar returned from the tower of joy.





	On the Eve of the Sack

Elia could not say when she had stopped wondering what had happened – well, not what had happened in reality but what had been going through Rhaegar’s head. At Dragonstone, she had lain in bed, almost welcoming the pain burning in her womb, actually moving a hand or foot ever so slightly to evoke the pain that made her scream, for it was so overwhelming that even the pain of Rhaegar’s betrayal was dissolved in its dark sea. On her way to King’s Landing, she had not had the time to even curse Rhaegar as she lay in a whirlwind of pain praying for death. In the Red Keep, she had started thinking about Rhaegar again and wondering as the attendants forced on her by Aerys – Lord Varys, in fact – gave her a looks of pity and whispered behind her door in wondering of their own what was wrong with her. She was beautiful enough, so she must be terrible at bedsport if her lord husband had gone for someone else, especially someone who was rumoured to be inferior to Elia in looks. She wondered what she would ask him when he came back. She made no plans because her hurt and disappointment were too raw for her to follow any plan. She could just repeat the questions over and over in her head. Was it because she was black-eyed? Because she was not healthy enough? Because she hadn’t given him as many children as he wanted? Because she had not been tender enough, arguing with him over the details of his plans?

But then, he had not returned. He had started a war – and he had not returned. He had allowed for her and the children to be brought here to answer for his actions – and he had not returned. The only occasion when Elia had realized that Aerys’ madness had its moment of sharp clarity was when he, in the midst of shouting and her and demanding to know what treason Rhaegar was planning, had not hit her. He was sane enough to realize that in her uncle’s presence, it was not a wise thing to do.

In Rhaegar’s? Elia was not so sure. Rhaegar had not said a word when Aerys had said that Rhaenys smelled Dornish, she had been told. Would he have the courage to defend her physically? She was not sure. And what was worse, she didn’t know if he would have had the wish. Aerys clearly did not know either because if he feared his son, he would have never forced her to watch his entertainments of burning people to that, scream of treachery to her face and whatnot – only when her uncle wasn’t there!

He had allowed for his father to take them hostages – and he had not returned to even check what was going on with them.

Somehow, sometime, someway, Elia’s interest in Rhaegar’s motives had waned away until one night, she lay in her bed and thought of escaping, of what she could do – and she realized that she didn’t want to know why Rhaegar had done what he had done. She only wanted to survive Aerys, survive this madness, survive everything. She and her children, and her retinue. Because Aerys was not this mad as to miss the chance to take the sons and daughters of the greatest Dornish Houses that had come with Elia and make them his hostages as well. They were her responsibility but she could see no way before all of them. She did not even know the secret doors in the Red Keep. Little by little, Rhaegar faded in her mind, no longer her husband, no longer her children’s father, just the man who had started all of this to abandon everything and everyone.

When he entered her chambers – were they hers? In Maegor’s holdfast, filled with spies and men at-arms? – she did not even look at him. Instead, she hugged Aegon who had made his way all across the room on his own two feet, took him in her lap and gave him a sound smack on the cheek, her smile becoming wider when Rhaegar came close, reached for the child and Aegon recoiled. Rhaegar actually made a step back, his expression surprised and hurt. That’s a good boy, Elia thought and kissed Aegon again. She could see that Rhaegar was trying to think of a way to join the unity they had become and wanted to slap him. The memory of another day rose in her mind – the day she had tried to draw Rhaegar into their unity, the day he had only spoken of prophecies and songs that were, so he did not need to make one for Aegon, the day before he left them.

“How have you been?”

Elia did not bother to reply. Aegon wiggled on her knees, so he was face to face with his father, and started pushing him away.

“He doesn’t like seeing strangers in my chambers,” Elia explained. “I think he’s trying to protect me.”

Rhaegar sighed. “We’ll have to teach him that he doesn’t need to protect you from me.”

“Doesn’t he?” Elia asked and for the first time since he had entered, she felt interested in his intentions.

He seemed vaguely disappointed, as if the conversation wasn’t going the way he had expected, and Elia marveled at this. What had he expected, that she’d greet him with a hug? She was astounded that he seemed to have wanted this. But she was not inclined in the least to make it easier for him.

“We need to talk, Elia,” Rhaegar said at last when even he understood that she could keep her silence till the end of the world if need be.

She nodded at the nursemaids to take the children away. Rhaegar’s eyes widened when Aegon started tugging at his wetnurse’s bodice.

“I thought you nursed him yourself,” he said.

“I did,” Elia replied. “But then, I grew so ill that every slight move and touch made me scream with pain. I couldn’t hold him without dropping him.”

The first time she had tried to nurse him after the illness had hit her, she had fainted with pain but she did not bother to tell Rhaegar this. He would not be interested and anyway, she did not want to disclose her health troubles with this stranger. He had torn himself off her heart.

“I’m sorry,” Rhaegar said. “I’m sorry that it happened. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

She shrugged. “I’m sure you had some better things to do. In your mind, at least.”

No, this conversation wasn’t going the way he wanted at all. Elia summoned all her wits, all her intelligence, all her power of observation because their future might well depend on this. Hers and the children’s.

“You didn’t come out to greet me.”

“No one bothered to tell me that you had come,” Elia replied. “Since my uncle was dispatched to lead the Dornish troops, I’m unaware of what’s going on at court.”

This wasn’t exactly true but one did not reveal their allies to their enemies – and Elia still wasn’t sure that Rhaegar was not this.

“And would you have come if you had known?”

“No,” Elia replied. “I am not interested in playing the devoted wife when I don’t even know if I will stay your wife,” she went on and he actually made a step back.

“What?” he asked. “I left a note…”

Elia waved a dismissive hand. “You mean that piece of parchment reading that you were going to look for a cure for me? I didn’t know that bedding another woman was a way to heal me, my lord. In fact, it contributed greatly to my decline, I’m sorry to tell you.”

This time, he looked more collected. He drew a footstool near her and Elia wanted to slap him. This was a well-calculated way to show humbling before her but when all was said and done, it was just a footstool. She didn’t mean small gestures. They had stopped being enough.

“I prayed that you’d place your trust in me, Elia,” he said. “I know now that I wanted too much.”

“Way too much!” Elia agreed violently.

“I needed someone who would give me a third child,” he said.

“Did it have to be her?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you, Elia. I would have let you know if I could have. I’m sorry that you thought…” He paused. “You are my wife, Elia. You will always remain my wife.”

She noticed his wording. “Yes, one of two,” she said bitterly. “Save me your patronizing lies, Rhaegar. You just made sure that there _will_ be a new Daemon Blackfyre down the line… if there is a line at all. We’re in a war, just in case you have forgotten! Because I have not! How could I when I was the one brought over to interrogation over your running away with another woman!”

“I’m sorry.”

She laughed. “Stop repeating this! Learn some new words!”

“Tell me what do you want to hear.”

“That you’re going to send me and the children to safety in Sunspear. Because here, with your father, we are not! Later, when all is over, you’ll have the chance to prove that we’re still the royal family by sending to conduct us with honours here. But send us to safety.”

He looked so very sad that Elia turned her face away, her fingers opening and closing as she struggled not to sink them into this handsome, lying face of his. “It pains me that after such a long separation, the one thing you want of me is what I cannot grant you.”

She whirled back and this time, she did sink her claws into him. “You cannot?” she screamed. “You don’t want to! Say it, Rhaegar! Say that you want us here, so Dorne will fight on your side! You can lie to others that it’s your father who wants us here but I know better. You can take us out but you don’t want to because you aren’t sure that Dorne will fight for you. What kind of monster are you? It’s your children that you’re talking about! How can you!”

He rose, looking wounded. “I expected of my future queen to have a better grasp of politics,” he said. “And of my wife to show some more understanding. Nothing threatens you here because I will win.”

She snorted. “Save these placations for the little fool you’re keeping in… where is she? Surely you have not brought her here? I would have heard of it! The noise would have made it all the way here!”

He hesitated but did not reply. In fact, Elia did not care for his reply either. ‘You’re a monster,” she said very softly. “You’re worse than your father. He may distrust you but he wouldn’t allow anyone to harm you. That’s why all of this started. While you’re ready to throw your children into the maw of the beast, just to have Dorne on your side after insulting all of us so grievously.”

He actually looked uncomfortable. “I didn’t expect such a reaction from your people, Elia,” he said. “I expected more reason. It isn’t as if they’re stranger to such things. Even your lady mother…”

“Don’t you _dare_ mention my mother!” Elia warned icily. “She made a mistake but the presumptuous boy was sent away as soon as she knew my father was displeased; you intend to force your girl upon me. There was no question in anyone’s mind but the boy about him being more important than my father in any aspect; I suspect you nourished this ideas in the girl’s mind. My mother spent years making up; you intend to use us to sway Dorne to your side without an ounce of shame! My mother will remain in people’s mind as an able and benevolent ruler; you will remain as the Aegon the Unworthy come again!”

His hand hissed in the air and stopped mere inches away from her cheek. She did not move away. “Come on!” she urged. “Come on, hit me! This is the only thing you haven’t done to me yet and it’s going to be the smallest of all the injuries you have dealt me!”

He brought his hand down slowly, forcing an expression of patience on his face. Elia marveled again at his desire to look good while not realizing that he had already painted himself as the worst ones of the Targaryen kings. A slap on the wife’s cheek would not even imprint itself in anyone’s mind! Was he really this deluded? _He’s mad_ , she thought and shuddered. _As mad as his father._

“I demanded too much from you, Elia,” he said. “I realize it now. But I know you can do it because you were a princess born and bred. That’s what I want in my queen. I know that over time, you will come to terms with Lady Lyanna and I. And until you do, I won’t force myself to you at night. When you’re ready to discuss it with reason, send for me – I will come.”

All this time, Elia had avoided to think of their intimate life because she didn’t want him to breathe in the same chamber where she breathed, let alone have him in her bed but having the prince, the king into her bed was a way to reinforce her position in court, so she’d have to learn to want him… if he intended to pay her a nightly visit ever again, that was it. Now, faced with the reality of the situation, with the added understanding that she’d have to bed a man who was keeping her hostage and who thought this would be a way of reunion made her gag. It was a good thing that she had not eaten anything at lunch.

Rhaegar offered her a goblet of water but she pushed it and him away, wishing only to see him go away. When he was still there a little while after, when she got herself under control, she leaned back cautiously and looked him in the eye. “Discuss it with reason?” she repeated. “When your reason includes turning us into hostages which you didn’t do with the girl? You’ll have to wait for a long time, Rhaegar! And my coming to terms with you and Lady Lyanna? I despise both of you – you and your slattern!”

This time, he didn’t flinch. He merely headed for the door and turned to her. “When you send for me, I’ll come,” he repeated.

“Whenever you decide to send the children to safety, you may come,” she replied, already knowing that it would be a very long time until they next saw each other.

 


End file.
